Fox Theatre
119 S. Tower Avenue,
Centralia,
WA
98531
119 S. Tower Avenue,
Centralia,
WA
98531
5 people
favorited this theater
This single screen theater opened on September 5, 1930, with Buster Keaton in “Doughboys”. The Fox Theatre was designed by architect Frank Wynkoop, working out of the office of Robert C. Reamer, with B. Marcus Priteca acting as consultant. It originally had 1,200 seats on three levels and was operated successfully for decades, until it was closed in 1998 (as a triple screen theatre) by its operator, Act III Theatres.
The Fox Theatre was sold to the non-profit group Opera Pacfica in 2004, which began the process of restoring the theater. It was occasionally used for movie screenings. It was bought back by the city of Centralia in 2007, and restoration work continues. Film performances began in early-2009.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Article In local Paper
Historic Fox Theater Repurchased by the City of Centralia
According to the Centralia Chronicle, the City of Centralia has made a HUGE step of progress in the downtown revitalization effort by repurchasing the historic Fox Theater on the corner of College Way (Locust Street) and S. Tower Avenue.
KUDOS to the City of Centralia for stepping in to lead the way with the restoration efforts to bring the Fox Theater back to glory! Again the City of Centralia City Council has stood behind their public commitment to a complete and total revitalization of the historic downtown. The Centralia City Council has demonstrated their true devotion to the success of the downtown business community by committing to do the work to properly restore the Fox and return the theater to operation.
It is estimated that the Fox Theater restoration will take $2.5 – $3.5 million dollars to fully restore. Currently the city does not have these restoration funds available. However, Economic Development Director, Polo Enriquez, has committed to lead the effort to raise the necessary funds to complete the project successfully.
Theaters are an essential part of the downtown mix in a historic city. Before mass media, the local theater was the hot spot in town for entertainment. Most every historic downtown we have traveled to has one or more great old theaters. The Fox Theater is a delightful example of a wonderful performance venue. A busy downtown theater signifies an active culture for the arts, sets a mood and atmosphere of excitement for entertainment and creates a certain “buzz†to the downtown that something exhilarating is going on.
An active and booked theater also brings many new and welcome faces to the downtown district to mingle and socialize before and after the show. The theater is one of the strongest pulling attractions that a downtown has to offer. Quality entertainment and frequent bookings are key to the success of the venue.
A fully restored Fox Theater will be a welcome addition to the downtown district. This renovation effort will give the citizens of Centralia an opportunity to get involved with the fund raising, which will in turn bring a sense of pride and ownership of the community theater that has been a vital part of historic downtown for the last century. It is estimated that the Fox Theater will be operation in 12-18 months and fully restored in 36-48 months.
Hot off the presses:
http://tinyurl.com/3z4xm2
A new website for the Fox Theater in Centralia, Washington:
http://centraliafoxtheater.com/Renovations.html
They are showing “Under The Same Moon” on February 6 and 7, 2009. Spanish audio with English subtitles. The film equipment is gone so I am assuming they are now showing videos/DVD’s.
Confirmed. They are using a video projector and showing DVD’s.
Here is a 1980 photo.
1986 Photo
The official website for the theater is now:
http://www.centraliafoxtheatre.com/
Opera Pacific no longer has anything to do with this theater.
Come and visit us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Historic-Centralia-Fox-Theatre/193551670702492
Our wonderful Fox Theatre is an important part of the history of our town Centralia, WA. Our own native son, Scott White is now the man in charge of the restoration and activites of the theater. Our goal is to revitalize the Fox as a performing arts center, a multiple use event center.
We love Cinema Treasures, so much wonderful information about the theaters that all made us love movies. The information you have accumulated here is truly amazing….kudos CT!!!!!!